Flax Engine is a 3D game engine written in C++ and C#, with visual scripting and hot-reloading for both languages in the Editor. Its rendering features include real-time global illumination, reflections using custom software ray tracing, and GPU lightmap baking. World-building tools cover terrain, foliage, fog, nested prefabs, level streaming and large environments using 64-bit coordinates. Networking APIs support multiplayer games, while its Online system can connect services such as Steam, Xbox Live and PlayStation Network for profiles, friends, achievements, presence and cloud saves. The engine provides the full Editor source code, though NDA-protected platform support is excluded from the public repository. Supported targets include Windows, Linux, Android, iOS, PlayStation 4 and 5, Xbox One and Series, Nintendo Switch, macOS and web. Web support is experimental and lacks C# scripting, video playback and some other engine features. The license is free for non-commercial or educational use; commercial releases pay a 4% royalty on earnings exceeding $250,000 per calendar quarter.
Who it is for
Flax Engine may suit solo indie developers and larger teams building 3D games. Its features include visual scripting, multiplayer networking and support for a range of listed platforms.
What is good
- Full Editor source code is provided.
- Supports C++, C# and visual scripting.
- Includes multiplayer networking APIs.
- Supports a range of desktop, mobile and console targets.
- Free for non-commercial or educational use.
What to know first
- Web support is experimental.
- Web lacks C# scripting and video playback.
- Commercial releases pay a 4% royalty above the stated threshold.
Verdict
Flax Engine combines 3D rendering, world-building, scripting and multiplayer tools across a broad set of targets. Check the experimental web limitations and commercial royalty terms before choosing it.
Flax Engine plans and pricing
All plansCompared on game engine software
- Free plan
- Yes
- Visual scripting
- Yes
- Multiplayer tools
- Yes
